Chemnitz city center needs a breath of fresh air – students, join in!

Chemnitz city center needs a breath of fresh air – students, join in!

The Chemnitz city leaders have set themselves an exciting task: to attract more students from Chemnitz University of Technology to the city center. But so far things are looking rather poor there. Despite the conversion of the stock spinning mill into a modern university library, students visiting the city center remain a rarity. This prompted the city to take action and seek the opinions of young people.

Together with Chemnitz University of Technology, the city has launched an online survey that will run until September 14, 2025. The aim here is to find out what students are missing in the city center and what could attract them there. Topics such as quality of stay, gastronomy and leisure activities are the focus. “We need concrete suggestions to make the city center more lively and to welcome young people,” explains Silvana Bergk, head of the city’s economic department. The survey is anonymous, takes about ten minutes and is sure to be well received by students.

The offer for students

The initiative aims to promote the integration of student life into the city center. Those responsible in the city also want to incorporate the views and wishes of the students into future development concepts. “The revitalization and further development of the city center is a central task of economic development,” the communications emphasize. The city center should not only become an attractive trading location, but also a lively meeting place for all generations.

In order to enable targeted changes, students are asked to register their interest in further formats at the end of the survey. In this way, additional discussion platforms can be created that specifically address the needs and wishes of students. “It is very important that young people feel comfortable in Chemnitz,” Bergk continued.

The students' perspective

When developing the city center, the focus will clearly be on the young target group. The focus is on the question of how the quality of stay as well as the study and leisure activities can be improved. The survey is not only intended to provide an opinion, but also to generate concrete ideas that will make Chemnitz city center more attractive in the long term.

The initiative is a right step to revitalize student life in Chemnitz and create a connection between the university and the city center. With a good hand in planning, it could be possible to give the city center the breath of fresh air it needs.

For anyone interested: Take the time and take part in the survey to contribute your ideas and wishes. Who knows, maybe your favorite place in the city center will soon become a reality!

For further information on the survey and urban development in Chemnitz, please visit the pages of Radio Chemnitz, Chemnitz.de and TU Chemnitz.